


Bruised Strawberries

by kaleidomusings



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, M/M, Pushing Daisies AU, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 06:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3926638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're just full of surprises," Bucky says, smiling. Steve can't help smiling back, feeling a little lightheaded, because Bucky is here -<i>alive</i>- in Steve's shop and praising his cooking. Or maybe it's from hitting his head. It's hard to say. "So what else can you do, besides bake pies and wake the dead?"</p><p>Or the Pushing Daisies AU where Steve bakes pies and solves cases involving dead people on the side, and Bucky is the childhood sweetheart he brought back to life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bruised Strawberries

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write a Pushing Daisies AU since forever, so that's what I did. I'm actually very proud of what I have so far and hopefully the rest of you will enjoy it too.
> 
> Also if you want to leave kudos or comments, feel free! It'd really make my day.

In all his twenty-seven years, four months, and sixteen days of life, Steve Rogers has never broken a dish. Ever. Especially not in his own pie shop. 

But when Steve heard about the mysterious death of an unidentified body, the plate he was holding dropped from his suddenly numb fingers and crashed to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. And although he's not a superstitious person by nature, he can hardly ignore the signs when they're right there in front of him. Whoever it is, it's someone very important to him.

"I've never seen you like this before," Natasha says after Steve swept up the broken shards and insisted on going with her to the funeral home. She studies him, pretending she's not curious about his sudden interest in this job and failing miserably. "I always have to drag you with me. Are you feeling all right?"

"What's the cause of death?" Steve asks, cutting her off before she can crack more jokes at his expense. He moves to throw out the broken dish and put the broom back in its place, but he can still feel Natasha watching as he does so, although Steve refuses to look back at her. 

Finally she relents and glances down at her phone. "Three bullet wounds to the torso, two in the back, and a knife wound to the right thigh. Helen says he basically bled to death from his injuries. The family wants justice, so they have a huge reward out on who might have killed him."

Steve is almost too afraid to ask, but he needs to know for sure. "What was his name?"

Natasha meets his eyes with her own. "Barnes," she says after a long moment. "His name was James Buchanan Barnes."

"Bucky," he says, his heart aching. 

\--

Bucky was Steve's first love when he was still too young to understand what love was.

Of course Steve knew about love between family and friends, but the way he felt for Bucky was different. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Every moment without Bucky was agony, and every moment with him was pure joy. It got to the point where Steve couldn't sleep or eat properly, which made his mother worry about her frail and sickly son even more. 

And during that time of his life, Steve was always sick. It was so bad that he couldn't even go to school or play with the other children. Not like they would have played with him anyway. They were scared of him, because they couldn't understand why Steve was so different, so _wrong_. But Bucky was never afraid. He would always stop by after school to visit and tell Steve stories about things that happened that day, or bring him books to read and movies to watch. It was one of the many reasons why Steve loved Bucky so much, because he never made Steve feel like there was anything wrong with him. That it was okay to just be himself. 

But Steve had a secret he couldn't tell anyone about, not even to Bucky. He had the power to bring dead things back to life. Which might sound exciting in theory, but was actually a huge disappointment as far as superpowers go. Steve hated his abilities, because the day he discovered them was the day his mother died, and the love and happiness he thought would last forever ended before he could truly appreciate it.

\--

As Steve and Natasha make their way closer to the room where Bucky's body is, he starts feeling more and more nervous. He hates funeral homes on principle, because it's always awful seeing families mourn the loved ones they've lost. But knowing that this is the last time he'll ever see Bucky, after so many years apart, fills him with panic and dread.

"Wait," Steve blurts out. 

Natasha, who already has her hand on the door, turns to look at him. "What wrong?"

"Do you think I can do this one alone?" Steve asks. Natasha raises a brow at him and he blushes. "I'm not trying to steal the reward from you or anything. But I grew up with the guy and I want to pay my respects and say goodbye to him properly-"

"Enough," she says, holding up her hand to silence him. "I get it. And you know what'll happen if you try tricking me, so go ahead. I'll wait out here."

Steve smiles at her gratefully and slips into the room, shutting the door carefully behind him. 

The first thing to catch his attention is that the casket is open, which makes Steve want to turn around and leave immediately. But he keeps moving closer and closer until he's staring down at Bucky, not sure if he can believe what he's seeing. If Steve didn't know better, Bucky looks like he's just sleeping. He's wearing a nice suit that hides any evidence of the wounds that killed him and his hair is neatly styled, like he might just climb out of his coffin and go out for a drink. Even his face -while pale- doesn't look like the face of a dead man. 

"You shouldn't have died," Steve says miserably. Tears sting the corners of his eyes that he has to force himself to swallow back. He thought he was prepared for it, but he's weaker than he expected. Despite how many years have passed, he's still the little boy who fell in love with his best friend. 

Still, it's too late for regrets now. So Steve reaches out and gently presses the tip of his finger against Bucky's cheek. Usually when Steve brings people back to life, they sit up and answer his questions about who or what killed them without fuss, even though they're understandably confused by it all. But Bucky isn't like most people. Bucky has never been like most people. 

Before Steve can even blink, strong hands twist in the collar of his shirt and throw him against the floor. He lays there for a moment, stunned and dazed, until Bucky advances on him with a frighteningly blank look in his eyes.

Steve picks himself up and backs away, saying, "Bucky, stop. It's me, Steve. Steve Rogers."

At first, it doesn't seem like Bucky even acknowledges Steve's words or voice. But then the empty look in his eyes clears, and he's Bucky Barnes again, Steve's childhood friend and love of his life. 

"Steve?" he asks, his voice rough and a little hoarse, like he's forgotten how to use it. 

"Yeah," Steve says and smiles helplessly. "It's me, Buck."

Bucky glances around the room, at his casket, and even his clothes, as if he has no idea what to make of any of it. "What happened?"

"You died," Steve says, fighting the urge to cry because _now is not the time_. "I need you to tell me what you last remember. Do you have any idea who killed you?"

Bucky shakes his head. "No. I was trying to find that out but then everything went dark."

He looks as devastated as Steve feels. And it hurts. It hurts to still be so weak and useless when Bucky needs him the most. "I'm so sorry," he says, wishing those words could convey how sincerely he means them. "I promise that I'll do everything I can to find out who did this-"

"It's good to see you again," Bucky interrupts. The corner of his mouth turns up in a semblance of a smile. "I don't know what you're doing here, but if this is my last moment then I'm glad I got to spend it with you."

And Steve, knowing it's a terrible idea but not caring, lets himself be selfish. 

\--

Steve was eleven years, nine months, and twenty-three days old when he brought his mother back to life. 

She'd been sick for a long time, working long hours at the hospital and caring for an infirmed son on her own. But he never once saw her complain about it, even when he knew she struggled to make ends meet and sometimes went to bed hungry, just so she could afford Steve's medicine. 

Then one day she fell and hit her head before going still. Deep down, Steve knew that she died, but when he pressed a finger to the tip of her nose, she got up like nothing happened. So he could lie to himself pretend that she was fine as they baked a pie together and drew in the new notebook she bought him. But the thing about Steve's powers is that they come with a price, and it's a lesson he had to learn the hard way. 

That night, his mother tucked him into bed and leaned in to kiss his forehead, like she did every night. But as soon as he felt her lips, she fell over again, and wouldn't move no matter how many times he touched her and begged her to open her eyes.

The reason why bringing dead people back to life is a curse is because Steve can't touch them again once he does. Otherwise they're dead, forever, and there's nothing he can do to change that. 

\--

"You own a pie shop," Bucky says in a strange voice. 

He stares at the tables and booths like he can't make sense of them. And when Steve shows him the kitchen, he actually stands rooted to the spot while he takes it all in. Under normal circumstances Steve would have been a little embarrassed and offended by such a reaction, since he's filled out a lot since puberty and most people expect him to work at a gym rather than make pies for a living. But he doesn't mind so much when it's Bucky. Besides, he has more important things to worry about. Like how amazed he still is that he managed to sneak Bucky past Natasha and has to worry about what she'll do to him when she finds out. 

"Why do you own a pie shop?" Bucky asks, as Steve slides a huge slice of blueberry pie in front of him and pours him a tall glass of milk. "I thought you wanted to go to art school."

Steve gestures at him to dig in and waits for him to do so. "I still draw from time to time," he says, "But I decided-"

Bucky suddenly makes a noise, loud and obscene, that has Steve flushing to the roots of his hair. "This pie is amazing, Stevie. You made this?"

"Yeah," he manages. No one has called him that in a long time. "It's not a profession I expected to have, but I really like it."

"You're just full of surprises," Bucky says, smiling. Steve can't help smiling back, feeling a little lightheaded, because Bucky is here - _alive_ \- in Steve's shop and praising his cooking. Or maybe it's from hitting his head. It's hard to say. "So what else can you do, besides bake pies and wake the dead?"

The sudden guilt is crushing. Because it's clear that Steve acted impulsively and never really stopped to think about what Bucky wanted. But the only other option was Bucky would have been dead, and he wouldn't have been able to live with that. "I'm sorry," he says softly. 

Bucky blinks at him. "What for? I'm here with you, eating some of the best damn pie I've ever had when I could be buried six feet underground. Why are you sorry?"

"But no one can know that you're still alive," Steve says. The last thing he wants is to hide Bucky from the world, but apparently that's exactly what he'll have to do. "Not your family or your friends-"

"Steve," Bucky cuts in, sounding pained. He reaches out his hand like he wants to touch Steve, but pulls away at the last minute. "You don't need to worry. I fell out with my family a long time ago."

Steve wants to ask, because he remembers that Bucky's parents and sisters seemed like nice people, but decides that it's not his place. For Steve -who lost his mother when he was still so young- there's nothing more important than family. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the same for everybody. 

Resting his chin in his hand, Bucky smiles at him. "I'm not a mind reader, but I can tell what you're thinking and you should stop." He leans in a little closer. "You've always been easy to read, Rogers."

Steve leans forward, smiling right back. "Yeah? And what am I thinking about right now?"

"No idea," Bucky says with a shrug. Then his smile turns sly and heady, making Steve's heart skip a beat at the sight. "But I'd kiss you right now if it wouldn't kill me."

Steve turns red despite himself, feeling so silly as he does. He's sure Bucky isn't even serious about kissing him, but he still wishes he is. He really, really wishes he is. 

"This is all very sweet," Natasha says from the doorway. She stares at Steve with a carefully blank look on her face, the one that means he's in _so much trouble_. "But Sitwell is dead and there's a man who shouldn't still be alive in your shop. I want to know why."

\--

Natasha is Steve's sister in every way but blood.

After his mother died, no one could figure out what to do with him. His relatives shuffled him between themselves, but he never stayed with anyone of them for long. Eventually, they all had excuses for sending him away: he was always sick, it was too much work to care for him, he was too stubborn and rebellious, or -and this seemed to be everyone's favorite- he got into too many fights. Like it was Steve's fault for standing up for himself.

When they finally sent him to the orphanage, it was almost a relief. Never mind how miserable he was there. Pierce and the other caretakers never mistreated him, but he Steve still hurting from grief over his mother's death and missing Bucky. They tried to keep in touch after Steve went away, even after he was moved around so much, but Bucky's parents were struggling to raise him and the girls and took them to the other side of the country to start over. After that, the letters became sparse until they stopped all together.

The loneliness ate at him, but Steve promised himself that he'd work hard to become the kind of person his mother and Bucky would be proud of. So as soon as Steve turned into an adult, he left the orphanage. He worked a number of odd jobs while renting the tiniest apartment in existence, scraping together every penny he had to one day open the pie shop he'd been dreaming of. But no matter how much he worked and how much he saved, that wish would never have come true if it hadn't been for Natasha. 

When she found out about his powers (which may have involved Steve accidentally bringing back to life a homeless man he thought was just sleeping), she followed him around for a few weeks before he finally agreed to help her with her work. Apparently she had been involved with some nasty people until recently, but managed to escape that life. 

Now she lives as a private investigator, and has Steve bring dead people back to life to find out who killed them and collect the reward money from their grieving families. He feels bad about it sometimes, but helping people and being able to afford providing baked pastry goodness to the public balances it out. Or that's what he tells himself. 

\--

"Sitwell is dead?" Steve echoes. "The funeral director?" 

They were never particularly close, but the news still shocks him all the same. Sitwell always seemed nice enough whenever Steve tagged along with Natasha for a job. 

"He was murdered," Natasha said. She takes something out of her pocket and throws it on the counter. It's a black business card. It's almost completely blank -no name or phone number on it- except for a symbol of a skull with tentacles in blood red ink.

Bucky, who had been nursing a cup of coffee Steve poured for him, sets it down. His eyes are stony as he and Natasha stare at each other with a look Steve can't read. 

"I'm not involved with HYDRA," he says quietly.

Natasha doesn't scoff, but Steve can hear it in her voice anyway. "So you're SHIELD? I used to work for them too, you know, but it doesn't matter what they call themselves. Deep down, they're all the same. That's why I got out when I could."

"HYDRA is worse." 

Natasha's eyes are hard. "The lesser of two evils doesn't change the fact that it's evil."

Bucky's brows furrow and he opens his mouth to respond, but Steve cuts him off before he can. Because he doesn't want to hear it. Natasha has never told him much about SHIELD, but from what little he's gathered, they seem pretty terrible. He doesn't like the idea of Bucky also being involved with them. "Natasha," he says, a little harsher than he means to. She and Bucky both turn to look at him, like they've forgotten Steve was even there. "Maybe we should find out why HYDRA wanted Sitwell dead before anything else."

Natasha glances at Bucky, who stares right back. Just as Steve is starting to worry that a fight might break out in his shop, Natasha nods and steps away, a mask of indifference already in place. She heads to the door but stops before opening it. Without turning around, she says over her shoulder, "I'm warning you now, Barnes. If anything happens to Steve, you'll wish HYDRA got to you first."

Bucky makes no move to respond until she leaves and shuts the door behind her. Only then does he reach over the counter and place his hand deliberately close to Steve's, staring up at him with a fierceness that takes his breath away. Even though they aren't actually touching, Steve can feel the warmth of his body all the same.  

And, somehow, it's a more telling answer than if he'd used words.


End file.
